Work to expand Kansas Highway 99 or Commercial Street in south Emporia isn’t moving as fast as original plans had mentioned.
A more involved process to move underground utilities has combined with a couple extended rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall over the last month to lengthen the overall project. City Engineer Jim Ubert, a guest on KVOE’s Morning Show on Friday, says work should pick up speed as soon as next week.
The original plan has the project ending around Thanksgiving, but Ubert says an early or persistent winter could push completion into spring 2027.
Further north on Commercial, plans continue to get finalized for storm sewer replacement between 8th and 10th after a sinkhole developed near 10th and Commercial in late March, revealing a partially collapsed pipe at and south of that intersection. Ubert says this project is starting in early January because of the community calendar.
Construction is expected to go 4 months.
Out west, Ubert says there is good news with the Overlander Road expansion and reconstruction now substantially complete. The project has included a new traffic lane, curb, gutter, water and storm sewer. A new bridge replaced a nearly 100-year-old span as well.
